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Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

Luke 9:23

What does taking up your cross daily look like?

I really struggle with spiritual habits. Actually, I have a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it nearly impossible to form any habits long-term. I can do all the typical things to set myself up for success… and maybe get 3 months, then turn around and realize it’s been 6 months without whatever habit I had formed was.

But God knows me and my brain better than I could ever hope to. He knows all the ins and outs of what makes my brain different, because He put me together (Ps 139:13). Recognizing my “can’t” doesn’t excuse me from the commands that God has given all of us, so I’m learning how spiritual discipline looks for me. What I have found is while I can’t do habits, I can live in rhythm.

Can’t: pray every day at the same time for a set amount of time

Command: pray

Can: pray whenever and wherever I think about it! It may be irregular, but I do pray throughout the day. Random thoughts pop in my head constantly, so why not use that as prayer prompts? And yes, sometimes I’m praying for hours in one go!

Can’t: sit and read or listen to the Bible for very long

Command: know God’s Word

Can: again, whenever and wherever I think of it. Following the church devotionals on Facebook is very helpful for me, because I can pull that up on my phone any time. I also really enjoy something called lectio divina, which involves going over one verse or passage several times. I often have to do that anyway, so this spiritual practice fits right in to a struggle I have and draws me deeper into the Word!

Taking up my cross daily means picking up something that could be a burden or stumbling block to my relationship with the Father and not letting it get in God’s way. Luke 9 continues on to warn us against trying to hold on to our lives. If I try to hold on to my differences and say “well this is just who I am,” or try to push through them in my own power, I am living a lie. God has not called me to be someone who gives in to lies like this- He has called me into full devotion to Him.

Do I make my bed every morning? No. This is one of the things I’ve learned to not be a slave to, because it takes mental energy that could be used better somewhere else. Learning this was difficult.

Do I spend time with my Savior every day? Yes! I just use rhythm to stay connected, so mine might look a little different from my neighbors.

The command is every day – no matter how difficult it is. Take up your cross daily, in whatever method best suits the way God made you!

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